


We Can't Be Strong All The Time

by abstruseGlitch



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Humanstuck, Sadstuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-15
Updated: 2013-04-15
Packaged: 2017-12-08 14:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/762522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abstruseGlitch/pseuds/abstruseGlitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on an Imagine Your OTP prompt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Can't Be Strong All The Time

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize in advance for your feels.

“What?” you say slowly and quietly into the phone.

“I’m sorry, Karkat,” Terezi answers just as slowly. “It’s just… it’s for the best if we see other people.”

Great job, Vantas. You fucked it up again. After getting the girl of your dreams to finally agree to go out with you, you can’t stay in the relationship for more than two fucking months. But whatever, you think. Terezi knows what she’s talking about most of the time. You guess you’ll trust her on this too.

“Alright. I understand.”

“Really? You do?” She sounds like her normal self now.

“Yeah, it’s fine. No problem.”

“Good,” she giggles.

“So, see you at school?”

“Yeah! Bye, Karkles!”

But Terezi isn’t at school the next day. Or the day after that, or the day after that. You can’t help but feel both irritated with her and worried about her. She never missed school. Even when she had the flu, she managed to drag her frail, sick ass to school, give her flu to you, and then mock you for not being able to drag you frail, sick ass to school.  You hated her sometimes, but you loved her anyway. Something about her teasing made your blood boil so much that your heart melted.

After school a few days later, you resolve to go to Terezi’s house to check on her. Her week-long absence meant something was very wrong.

“Hello?” a girl says as she answers the door. “Oh… hi, Karkat.”

“Hey, Latula,” you say back in your usual irritable tone. “Is Terezi here? She hasn’t been at school and I’ve just been worried about her.”

Latula doesn’t respond. She just holds her lip with her teeth and looks down.

“Is something wrong?”

She quickly walks inside, leaving the door open as an invitation inside. Once you’re in her living room, Latula points to the couch and gives you a folded up sheet of paper. “Sit down, please. But don’t open that paper till I say so.” You do as she instructs as she sits next to you. Now there’s a sinking feeling in your gut. It’s the fear of what Latula’s about to say.

She places her hand on your knee and begins holding back tears as she talks. “You know how Terezi had that tumor in her retinas when she was young? And how we thought it was gone when she had that surgery? Well, about a week and a half ago, it came back.”

No.

“It spread to her brain within a few days.”

No. No.

“And…” Her choking breaks her speech. Her efforts were for naught. “Well, two days ago, Terezi passed away.”

No, no, no, no… This can’t be happening. This isn’t reality. This is a bad dream. But a hard bite to your lip proves that this is indeed the real world. You have no energy left anymore. Not even enough to hold back the tears. The only thing you can muster to say is a soft “Fuck…” Latula notices your lack of energy and tries to comfort you with a tight hug.

“It’s okay, Karkat.”

You quickly hug back as you let out broken wails, burying your wet face in her shoulder.

“We’ll get through this together.” She strokes the back of your head, trying to give you reassurance. But the only thing that can give you reassurance at this point is Terezi. “Read that paper.”

“What?” you mutter.

“Terezi used the last of her strength to write that for you. I think you ought to read it.”

You release Latula from your grip and unfold the paper. The handwriting is messy and light, but just enough to still be legible.  It’s written in red colored pencil, which just makes you feel worse.

“Dear Karkat,

“I’m sorry it had to be like this. I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye fast enough. This came out of nowhere and I haven’t even had the energy to talk. But I managed to get this written because I wanted to say some things to you before it was goodbye forever. But by the time you read this, it’ll most likely be too late.

“Confession: I broke up with you, not because I didn’t want to be with you anymore, but because I didn’t want you to see me like this. I wanted to be strong for you. To be the one who could conquer hardships. I guess we can’t always be the person we want to be, can we?

“Goodbye, Karkles.

“I love you forever,

“Terezi Pyrope <3”

There’s nothing left. Not just in your being, but in general. What do you do when someone who was your everything is gone? There’s nothing to do except let time heal you. After all, she may not be in the world anymore, but she’ll always be in your heart.

You leave the Pyrope home as you mumble just loud enough for Latula to hear, “I love you, Terezi. And nothing will ever change that.”


End file.
